Sheet feeder



Feb, z2 ,'1927. 1,618,624

1w. ALBRECHT'. JR

SHEET FEEDER y Filed Nov. 6'. 1922 s sheets-sheet 1 w/LL/AM Ausf? am,

ATTORNEY 1,618,624 Feb. 22,1927. WALBBECHTJR l SHEET FEEDER -Filed Nov. 6. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet' Nui:

IIIIIIIIII'I l/V VEN TOR NORA/EY Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

narran i stains y relatar Partnr orricn.

WILLIAM ALBRECHT, JR., OF LONG SLAND CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE R. SXVART 8c COMPANY, INC., OF ANEIV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

` SHEET FEEDER.

' Application fiiednovember e, 1922. Ysei-iai No. 599,210.

control for the pneumatic suction mechanismto enable saine to act, intermittently; in withdrawing and advancing the succes-l sive sheets in spaced relation to one another, which control mayv be either' automatically or manually actuated, and may also be regulated and yadjusted for properly spacingY sheet-s of different sizes or lengths. HeretoforeV continuous front-edge sheet-feeders embodying a perforated suction feed-wheel for Acontinuou sly feeding the' sheets forwardly from either a vertical pile or a bank of tanned-out sheets have separated and advanced such sheets in a continuous forward iow with overlappingmargins in that the rapidly revolving` suction feed-wheel tends to pick up the front margin of the second sheet before the rear. end of the precedying sheet is wholly disengaged from 'the periphery of the suctionvwheel. VVMy improved attachment prevents this overlap- "pingfeeding'of the sheets by lautomatically and intermittently cutting off the suction applied to the periphery ofthe feed-wheel in proper timed relation with'the `Vsize or length of the sheets being fed, combined with an automatic control operablev by a suitableY caliperiiig device t-o tion entirely whenever two or more sheets are fed through the feeding off rolls at the same time. f

A further feature of my invention i-s to embody inr suchr attachment a'v simplified and ei'iicient mechanism whichv operates autoinatically to hold the valved cut-off inits open or Vinoperative position after such valve cut-oil' has Vbeen shifted either yby the mechanism controlled by the caliper or by hand And l have also provided means.V to disconnect attachment fronithe feeding cut oil the sucdevices proper so that the control of the suction clit-off is made altogether by the operator, combined with resetting means after the calipering device has operated to cut off the suction from the feed-wheel.

My improved sheet-feeder also embodies other Vfeatures of novelty and improvement whereby the various operating are simplified and made more effective and otherwise bett-er adapted for use, all of which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

T he drawings show my iniproveinent-s inV a preferred iorm in a continuous lsheetfeeder 5 however, such improvements are Vnot to be restricted to any particular type of sheet-feeder, since the inventions are adaptable tovarious forms of sheet-feeders with the same advantages and results.

0f the drawings, Fig. l isa front elevation ofthe feeder with my improved attachment shown as secured to the left side-frame thereof;

Fig. Q- is a side elevation of the feeder looking from the left in Fig. 1 and showing the attachment inoperative position with the suction ports closed;

Fig. gis an enlarged side elevation view showing the suction ports open; l y Fig.' l is a sectional view taken onthe line 4.--4 of Fig. 3 llooking inthe direction of the arrows; Y Y.

Fig.` 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of 'F ig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; v

Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation showing the attachment disconnected and in inoperative position;

Fig. 7 is a detailed end view, partly in section, showing the position of the valved cutoff for the. suction ports; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional 0 mechanisms e view of the calipering device shown in Figs.`

'l' and 2.

-. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the Vseveral figures. Y

`Referring tothe drawings,` the left sidefi'ame'Q ,is suitably Vsupported, on standards l() and l() (Fig. 2),' and a similar side-frame is on the right of thefeeder but is'not shown.'

The elopingv feed-board il secured iu the side :frames over which board 'lil the bant; el" lannedfout sheets (not shown) is advanced to the Sheetwseparating mechanism by a Seriee of spaeed-apart Carrier tapes .lf2 passingr around pulleys 18 mounted on the shaft 14 journalled in the frames in the usual nianner, only one of such tapes 12 and pulleys 13 being?Ir shown in Fig. 2.

In the present embodiment the sheet sepaating and feeding nuiehanism eoniprieee a suction feed-wheel l (Fig. l) the peripheral rim 1G of which is l'ormed with a. series ol? Spaeed-apart iwrl'orations l? throughout, which wheel 15 i mounted on the shaft 1S. The end oit the shalt 18 :is suitably journalled in the Side-frame 9 ab shown, and the Wheel is revolved by gear 19 Secured te the shaft 1S. The gear .lll enmeshes `with the idler gear 2() which en gages the gear /)l` on the loweiI 'leedooll shaft 22. The gear 21 enmeehes `with the idler gear 93 which engagea with the gear .24 iurthepower shaft E Whieh is driven from any suitable source oi power notl shown. The suction mouth )ieee 26 rests on the inner fare oi',` the perforated rim ltl/ and is emineeted to the transverse suction tube 27 by the pipe 28 as ehown in Fig'. l. The required suetiou to operate the Wheel 'l5 to enable it to piek up and separate the sheets on the feed-board ll is applied to the tube Jr' from the vertical pipe 29 connected with any suitable air-exhausting device not Shown. Since these are Common forms of printing machinery construction and are well-knoivu in the art, they need not be more .fully described, .it beingi sufficient to note that the Sueeessive sheets are separated und fed forward by the Suction feed-Wheel l5 ae' it revolveel anti-clockwise Fifi. to ad` vence the sheets onto the lower feed-roll 3U mounted on the shaft l'l'om Whieh the sheets are thereafter carried forwardly by any Suitable conveyor meehaiiism not shown.

The means for automatirally and intermittently controlling the euotion ou the pef 4l by the coil eprint; 70 detachablif seeured riphery of the Wheel l5 to regulate the feeding;l oi the successive Sheets by this wheel in Suitable spaced relation to one another eompriifea the following.: meehauisu 4L\.djustably mounted on the left end ot the .tzhafl't 18 by Set, screw 3l (Fig. 4) is the collar 32 to which is Secured the l-:muleddisk il?) by screws S;`. Below the das t Sii is the reetan gular plaie 85 slidable xf'i-irtically iu the mrallel tracks rll and IE7 secured lo the 'irame 9 b v screws HS :leI shown iu Figs. J and 2l. Mounted in the upper pun'touof the plate 85 is the Stub-Shaft $3!) which luie the circular grove 40 fornied therein F 4 and by which the earn 4l is removebl),Y mounted on the shaft 30hy the Set-serew 42, the earn 41 being: preferably formed with the integral sleeve 43 surrounding the shaft reinem :ein afi ehown in Figa 4 and 5. lilounterl on the order end of the Sleeve 43 is; the lmurled wluwl 44, which ie held in poeition on the shaft 3) by the waeher 45 and screw-nut 46 threaded in the end of the shalt 3S Pinned at 4T to the lower end of the plate 35 is the rod 4&3 alidabliI` mounted in the bracket 4f) ellibzed to the 'traine 9, and the compression .spring coiled about the rod 48 between the bottom of the plate 35 and bracket 49 nete to hold the wheel 44 in operative enagement with the dial: Si.) ai; shown iu Fig. 'lo` enable my attachment to aecomniodate eheel'e of different Sizes or lengths, wheel` 44 ot dilierent diameters are pro vided to vary the speed of rotation of the exim 4l. livoted to the Stulrsha'lt 5l in the :trame l) the valve lever 52 to which are secured the valves 5? and 54 adapted to close and open the suction ports 55 and 5G reepeetively which are Lliormed in the end of the tube 27 and iu the upper portion oi the pipe L5) reepectvely (Fig. 7). The i-rtrueture and the mounting:` of these two valves and 54 are the eame, and is shown in detail in Fig'. 5 with reepeet to valve 5:3.

The valve 553 earries; the outwardly proj ect-` ing `teni 57 elidabl)7 mounted iu the eoclet 5S lomed in. the lever-52 `which also ha@ an enlarged recess 59 to hold the compression spring (15() coiled about the stem 57 to enable the valve 53 to have a tight lit on the port 55 formed iu the end el the tube Q7. The valve 54 has the Stem `(il (Fig. 3), and is similarly mounted in the lever 52 to open and elette the port 5G 'termed in` the pipe 29.

Pinued to the lever 52 at, 6&2 ia the arm (33 having; the `forked ends ($4 and ($5 above and liieloiv the inner end ol" the sleeve 43 as shown in Fie. 4. The u'aeber GG iss arranged on the Sleeve 43 betweenthe fori-:ed ende` G4 and (i5 and the plate 535 :me Shown in Figs. 4 and rlihe piu (3T (Figs. l und 4) holds the huurled wheel 44 in rotary engagement with the cam Pivoted at (5S to the arm (i8 iathe emuroller G9 held against the eem to theeud ol' the lever 52 by The aerevwpin il; the opposite end ol the Spring' 70' is pinned to theairew 72 asi Shown in Figs. il; 3. and l5. The lower end o: the rod 4 8 our ries the :il'cl1-liooli adapted to engage the pin 'T4 mounted inA the 'iframe to hold the plate $35 in .its iowermoet position :ze shown in Fig. with the diei( 33 and uheel Al--fl out ol i-ngeimnient- .sie (he lever 52 oacillales on the ehalt 5l uiuler the action of the mun 4l. the valveii ."'l and lilopen and flote their' reui'iective ieuelion porte 55 and 5o. Fie'.

mat-ically from the feed-wheel whentwo or more' sheets are fed off by beingy stuck together or for any other reasoni 1 have devised the followingl mechanism operable through any suitable caliper which is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 6 and 8: The tiero'ds 75 and 76 support the bracket 77 to which is pinned the arm 78 in the outer end of which is affixed the stub-shafts@ o'nwhich is journalled the upper feed roll 80 between which and the roll 30 the separated ysheets are lied. The coil spring 81 connected to the shaft 79 and the tie-rod 76 holds the upper teed-roll 8O iny yielding engagement with the lower feed-roll 30. Pivoted to the shaft 79 is the bracket 82 with the projecting lug;` 88. is shown in Fig. 8 the bracket 82 is formed to hold the threaded end oil vthe studr 84 on which is journalled the sleeve 85 with a dividing flange 86 which separates the wheel 87 i aliixed to the outer end of the sleeve `85 trom the disk-wheel 88 loosely mounted thereon with considerable play as shown.V The outer Ywheel 87 isvery slightly less in diameterthan the disk-wheel 88 and is provided with a weighted portion 89 on one side thereof from whichproject two pins 90 and 91. rllhis wheel 87 beine` loosely mounted onthe stud`84 will be held by gravity against rotation.l vn y K.

Near the end of the lug` 8,3 is the screw-pin 92 passingthrough asuitable aperture and screwed into the wine" 98 projecting;` vertically from the arm 78, thepin 92 having a stop against which the lue' 83 isyieldingrly pressed by compression spring 94 coiled about the pin 92 as shown in Fig. 2. By this device the positionfof the disk wheel 88 relatively tothe lower feed-roll 30 belowsame (Fig. 8) may be adjusted with ahigh de- `aree ot exactitude kby turning' the screw-pin Mounted onthe transverse rock-shaft 95 is the collar 96 from'which projects downthe bracket 102 secured kto the frame. 'The collars 103 and 104 areV adjustably secured to the rod 1.01 by set screws to limit the movementA of the rod 101 and also the collar 104 adjustably locates the position of the block on the rod 101 with reference to the linger 99. I* n Referring; to Figs. 2V and 8.,*the rear end of the rod 101 is pivoted by the pin 105 to thel plate 106 journalled on the stud'107gf also journalled on the stud 107 is the vweigrht-v ed pawl 108 the nosefof whichY is 'adaptedvto engage the notch 109y cut in the valve lever 52.V The pin 110 in the plate 106 holds the pawl 108k out of engagementv when the suc-l tion ports 55 and 56 are closed as shown. in Fig.- 2, but when the plate 106 is rocked to the left bythe rod 101, the nose 0i the pawl 108`falls into the notch 109 when the lever 52 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 by the action ofthe cam 41 with the suction ports 55 and 56 opened. As shown in Figsl and 2, the shaft 95y also has secured thereto the resetting' lever 111.

The very slight difference in the diameters' of the wheels 87 and 88 is approximately that of the thickness of a sheet from stock of average weight, and the ratio of effective diameters may be slightly varied and ad- *justed to a great'degree of nicety by meansof screw-pin 92, Vvthe loose Vbearings of the Wheel 88 lllOWlhgr it to rest by gravity on rthe lower V feed-roll 30 while the wheel 87 .is

sligl'itly raised or lowered with relation to roll 80. l a single sheet of paper will pass under the wheel 88 and also under the weightedwheel 87. but not contacting with the latter with suihcient pressure to cause it to revolve against vthe action of the weighted portion 89. However, should two-orv moresheets passat the same time under wheels 87 and 88. the increased thicknessof same will be su'liicient tofcause rictionalengagement oiv the wheel 87 and its rotation against'the action of the weiffhted portion 89 so as to cause the pins 90 and 91 to strikesuecessively thercurved arm 97 and rock same rearwardlyV 8. Y The handle 112 on the forward end ot the rod 101 enables the operator to move ltherod 101 tolthe leftl Vat will to shift the the operator may open and close the suction ports and 56 vat will andindependently ot tie mechanisms shown kand described to actuate same through the continued operation oi' thel feeder. Y

r[he operation of my sheet-'feeder is substantially as follows. lllhen the suction feed.- wheel 15 is rotatinsr in an anticlockwise dire'ction 2) tofeedfotl' the separatesheets from the Ybank of sheets on the feed-boardl 11 Y This adjustment is made so thatr iso -iil

and carrier tapes 12 between the teedfrolls f3() and S0, the suction is intermittently applied to the perforated :rim by the coaetion oi" the disk 33 on the shaft 18 with the knul-led wheel 411 journalled on the vertically adj ustable plate 35, the wheel 44 causing the cam 41 rotating in unison therewith to oscillate the valved lever 52 to actuate in turn the valves 53 and 54, over the suction ports 55 and 56 respectively to make or break the suction in the mouth-piece 26 which rides on the inner face of the perforated rim 16, the opening of the suction ports to atmosphere equalizing the air pressure on either side of the rim 16 to prevent the Wheel 15 picking up a sheet. The action is suitably timed by use of knurled wheel 114 of various diameters so that thesuction ports" 55 and 56 are opened (Fig. 3) when the perforau tions 17 registering with the mouth-piece 26 are passing over the rear ends of the sheets, and such suction ports remain open suiliclently to allow a suitable spacing between the tail end ol' the iirst sheet which is now advanced between the feed-rolls and 86 and the front edge of the second sheet. When the ports and 56 are closed, the mouthpiece 26 is again in direct connection with the air-exhausting device, and the wheel 15 picks up the front edge of the second sheet.

ly this mechanism the suction acts intermittently through the wheel 15 to properly space the successivesheets, and the rapidity of the oscillations of the lever 52 may be varied accordingr to the requirements for sheets of various sizes or lengths, by 1"eplac ing the linurled wheel 41 with a like Wheel of larger or smaller diameter. For this purpose a set of knurled wheels 44 o1 diilerent dialneters are preferably provided to take care ot' the feeding of sheets of different lengths.

The operation of the calipering device to control the position of the weighted pawl 108 has been heretoforedescribed and it will be observed that as the calipering mechanism acts when tivo or more sheets are fed as a unit to move the rod 101 to the leit, the pa-wl 10S automatically swings clockwise ready to engage the notch 109 in the lever 52 to hold same in the position shown in Fig. 3 as soon thereafter as the cam-roller 69 rides up on the high part of the cam t1 to throw the lever 52 to the left. Again the pressman may shittthe rod 161 at will either to allow the pawl 108 to swingr into operative position or to draw same away from the leverZJ into the inoperative position illustrated in Figs. and 6, By means of the hand-lever 111 the pressman rocksthe shaft 9.3 so as to bring the arm 9T again into the path of movement ot' the pins 90 and 91, y

The foregoing constructions embody the principles of my invention, but various changes may be made in the structural details centrically, and having a detachable opera` tive connection, with any of said members to rotate said cam at a correspondingly selective speed,` anda valve actuated and o controlled by said cam to intermit at a predetermined point in each sheet cycle the suction applied to said feed-wheel.

Q. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary suction feed-wheel operatingon a stack of superposed sheets to separate and advance the successive sheets, selective interchangeable rotary members of different peripheries detachably connected with, but directly actuated by, said feed-wheel, a cam mounted concentrically, and having a pin and slot operative connection, with any of said members to rotate said cam at a correspond-` ingly selective speed, and a rock-lever directly actuated` and controlled by said cam, and a valve on said rock-lever to intermit at a predetermined point in each sheet cycle the suction applied to said feed-wheel.

3. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary suction feedwheel operating on a stack oi' superposed sheets to separate and advance the successive sheets, selective interchangeable rotary members of different peripheries detachably connected with, but directly actuated by, said feed-wheel, a cam mounted concentrically, and having a detachable operative connection, with any of said members to rotate said cam at a? correspondingly seleetive speed, and a pair of coating valves both actuated and controlled by said cam to intermit at a predetermined point in each sheet cycle the suction applied to said l`teed-wheel through the continued movement of the feeder.

4. In a sheet-feeder, a rotary suction feedwheeloperating on `a stack of superposed sheets to separateand advance the succes sive sheets, selective interchangeable rotary members oi different pcripherics detachably connected with, but ljlireiztlv actuated by, said feed-wlieeh a cam mounted concentrically, and having a. pin and slot operative connection, with any oll said members to rotate said canrat a correspondingly selective speed, and a rock-lever directly actuated and controlled by said cam, and a pair of coacting valves on said rocklever to intermit at a predetermined point `in each sheet cycle the suction applied to said feed- Wheel vthrough the continued movement of the feeder. Y

5. In a sheet-feeder, rotary suction-feeding devices Ioperating on a stack of super# posed sheets to separate the successive sheets, means actuated and'lcontrolled by said reediug,` devices to intermit in each cycle the suction applied thereto, and manual means to separate said last-mentioned means from operativ-e relation with said feeclingclevices.

G. Ina sheetsfeeder, rotary suction-feeding devices operating on a stack or' superposed sheets to separate the successive sheetsymeans actuated and pr-edeterminedly controlled by the revolution of said feeding devices to intermit in each sheet cycle the suction applied th-eretoymeans to separate said last-mentioned means from operative relation with said feeding-devices, and means to hold said first-mentioned means in inoperative position.

7. In a sheet-feeder, a constantly rotating suction feed-Wheeloperating on a stack of superposed sheets to successively separate and advance sam-e7 means operable ,through the continued movement of the feeder and moving in unison with said feed-Wheel and controlled by the extent of its revolution to intermit the suction applied to said wheel, and means to separate said means from opera-tive relation With said feed-Wheel.

WILLIAM ALBRECHT, JR. 

